The Military and Moral Implications of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War is a useful source of insight on both the proper conduct of war and the impact war can have on society. The Athenians demonstrated the danger of failing to act decisively in war. Rather than pursuing a strategy directed at an achievable victory, they took an indirect approach that gave them an exhausting protracted war. Their tactics also reflected a lack of decision that lost them key battles. The negative impact that war can have on men's moral character is illustrated by the changes that took place in Athenian society. Pericles' funeral oration gives an account of the values Athenians lived before the war. The requirements of combat forced the rejection of these higher principles in favor of more basic values keyed to survival. Athenian society itself suffered a deterioration as moral restraints became loose and public spirit gave way to self-involvement. (Author)